littlewomenfandomcom-20200215-history
Jo March
Jo March '(''née '''March) was the second daughter of Robert and Margaret March, as well as the second-oldest March sister. Jo, is the protagonist of : Little Women ''and [[Little Men|''Little Men]], and a co-protagonist of : ''Jo's Boys''. Story of the Character Josephine March Chambers, simply known as "Jo" was the second oldest daughter of the March. Girlhood In the beginning of 'Little Women' the family is experiencing temporary financial difficulties during the American Civil War. The March girls' father is acting in the army as a pastor and the older sisters are working to make some extra money to support the family. Jo has to assist her rich elderly great-aunt - Aunt March. When her father falls ill, Jo rather sells her hair, her 'only pride', than to beg her aunt for money for her mother's ticket to Washington, so she could go visit her husband. The sisters made good friends with their neighbor, Theodore Laurence (Laurie has cute cheeks). Laurie sometimes called her "my fellow". While Laurie studied at college, Jo kept working on her writing. Later Life During that time, Laurie realizes that he had fallen in love with Jo. Sensing his feelings, Jo confided in her mother, telling her that she loved Laurie but as she would love a brother and that she could not love him romantically. Laurie proposed marriage to her and she turned him down. Jo decided she needed a break, and spent six months with a friend of her mother in New York City, serving as governess for her two children. The family ran a boarding house. She took German lessons with Professor Haber, who lived in the house. They soon became good friends. For extra money, Jo wrote stories without a moral, which disappointed him. They had an argument and when Jo learnt that Beth’s health had seriously deteriorated, she left New York and devoted her time to the care of her dying sister. On her invitation, Professor Bhaer arrived at the Marches' home and stayed for two weeks. On his last day, he proposed to Jo. Aunt March died, leaving Plumfield to Jo. She and Bhaer turned the house into a school for boys and had two sons of their own. 'Life at Plumfield' Of the four March sisters, Jo was easily the most masculine: she thought for herself, took pride in shunning female manners and fashion, and was unlikely to succumb to the pressures placed on women at that time. In fact, once she was always disappointed that she was not born a man, and hated the very idea of the inevitability of becoming a full woman. This can be interpreted as a subconscious desire on their part that allows the freedoms that women can not enjoy at that moment, as well as, losing their own identity, once they embrace their femininity. One notable trait of Jo's would be her determination: when she set her mind on something, it was very difficult to dissuade her from doing it - an example of which would be her dedication to her stories. Her "fatal flaw" was her temper, which could be exceptionally bad and volatile when provoked to her breaking point, but as her guidance under her mother's wise teachings as well her own life experiences progressed, Jo learned how to properly control it. As she matured, Jo gradually learned the importance of accepting her own gender, and realised that becoming a full true woman did not mean losing her own unique identity. As her father pointed out after returning home, Jo was no longer the "son" he once knew: she had ceased to practice masculine habits such as whistling or talking slang, and even dressed, spoke, moved, and cared for her family - especially Beth - in a way that made him satisfied of the strong, helpful, and tender-hearted woman she was growing to be. Personality Some aspects of Jo : * Josephine March is based off of Louisa May Alcott herself. * When Josephine March was young, she played a vital part in teaching her mother, Mrs. March, a lesson. Meg and Jo were sick, and Jo in particular, was being far too troublesome for her mother. "Marmee", as the girls affectionately called her, had previously shut her husband out of the nursery. Mr. March gently taught her that fathers should have a share in their children as well as mothers, and all was well. * Jo was a brave, determined, and independent young lady. Jo was a reckless, daring child. She often wished she 'was a boy', and as consolation enjoyed whistling, using slang and ruffling up her clothes (which were a great trial to her, especially when she grew old enough to wear long skirts) - all symbols of masculinity in the period. Jo loved to read, and would spend hours doing so, reading books such as The Heir of Radcliffe, over which she ate apples and cried. The attic was a favourite haunt of hers. The tin kitchen, which was inhabited by many manuscripts, books, and rats (who nibbled her pages and tasted her pencils), was also a desk where she could be found at when in a 'vortex'. Jo had a 'scribbling suit', which consisted of a large black pinafore to absorb ink stains, and a small black cap with a grey feather. Appearance * In ''Little Women'', the fifteen-year-old Jo was described to be very tall, thin, and tanned, with sharp grey eyes, a comical nose, a decided mouth, round shoulders, and large hands and feet. She also had long, thick hair that was said to be her "one beauty", but she later cut and sold it to amass money for her mother to go visit her father. She often says FUCK * In ''Good Wives'', the fully-matured Jo was described to have become a graceful and attractive young woman: her cropped hair had grown thick and long in a way that set off her small head to advantage, her eyes had a soft shine, her cheeks were rosy, and her skinny form had also grown soft and curvaceous. Category:Little Women Wiki Category:Little Women (novel) Category:Little Men (novel) Category:Jo's Boys (novel) Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Females Characters Category:March Family Category:Bhaer Family Category:Mothers Category:Writers Category:Teachers Category:Aunts Category:Wives Category:Massachusetts Residents Category:Concord Residents Category:New York City Residents (formerly) Category:Residents of March Home (formerly)